Machine for stamping or branding cigars



` (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1T G. D. WOODWORTH. MAGHINB PoR STAMPING 0B. BRANDING GIGARS.

No. 466,480. Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

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v AG. D. WOODWORTH. MACHINE FORSTAMPIG OB. BRANDING. GIGARS.

No. 466,480.v l Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

(No Model.) f j s sheets-sheetA 3.

- A G. D. WOODWORTH.

MACHINE POR STAMPING 0R BRANDI'NG GIGARS.

A- N0.466,480. j Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

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,PATENT Ormes.

GEORGE' D. wooowOR'ri-r, or' BROOKLYN, New YORK.

MACHINEFOR STAMPING OR BRANDING clcARs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,480, datedJanuary 5, 1892.

Application filed March 6, 1891. Serial No. 383,986. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom tm/ay concern:

Be it known that" I, ,GEORGE D. NVOOD WORTH, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Machines for Stamping or Branding Cigars, of which the followingis a specification,'refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to a new and novel mechanismv by'rwhioh cigars may bev rapidly impressed on their wrappers or outer surfaces with letters or other characters. The invention consists, essentially, of a receiver or feed-box made capable of y adjustment to various lengths and sizes of cigars,a die or impression plate, and an impression mechanism by which the cigars are singly 1 ism, and in the claims to follow the descrip' taken from the feed-box, pressed to contact with the die, and dropped out of or fed from the machine.

I will first describe my improved mechantion will point out the elements and combination of elements I consider as new and as of my invention. v Y

Figure 1 of the drawings showsa machine embodying my invention, the same-being in central vertical section,the parts being in their retracted position. `Fig`.2 shows the die-block in perspective. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on line :r of Fig. 1, looking from the left hand of that figure. Fig. 4 is a plan View in partial section. Fig. 5 is a central vertical section, the parts being in the position they have when a cigar is being forced upon the marking-die. Fig. 6 is a view of a v cigar, showingletters printed or branded upon its wrapper.

Referring to the viewsin detail, 1 represents the frame and standards of the'machine, 2 the base, and 3 the feed-box. The feed-box is a parallelogram in` general' form and has an inside width somewhat greater than -the length of the longest 'average cigar. Its bottom 4 is inclined, as shown, slanting from its rearend downwardly to the throat at its front end. throattothe thickness of the :cigars being branded, the inclined bottom 4is faced with a' movable metal plate 5, which is held in posibox.

like form.

byB. 9 represents cross-bars at the top ends ofV 'the feed-box. These are slotted at l0, and through these slots pass the `bolts of the thumb-screws 1l, which bolts are' attached to the upper edge of the partitions 9. By these means Vthese partitions are capable of adjustv metal. plate 14.

To regulate the size of this tion on the bottom by the thumb-screw 6, the bolt of which 'is attached to the plate and passes througha vslot in the bottom'of the 'lhe throat end of this plate overhangs thejend of the bottom of the box, and by the ladjustment of the plate produces a wider or narroweropening between it and the end of the box, through4 which the cigars pass sidewise out of the box. Y

7 indicates the-adjustable sides or partitions of. Athe,feedbox.Y Preferably the feedbox has fixed inclosing sides, as shown, and inner adjustable `sides. orl partitions, though obviouslythe outer fixed sides -or walls serve ymainly as supports to the partitions and the ends of the box, and so may be of a frame- These Iixed sides are indicated ment laterally in the feed-box in accordance with the length of the cigars being marked,

as it is between these partitions that the cigars are placed and'crosswi'se tothe box.

12 indicates strips of thin metal fastened to the front endof the partitions and projectingdown into the throat of the box. These are but continuations vof the partitions and they measure the length of the throat-opening, as do the partitions the width of the receiving-space of the feed-box.

13 is the front end of the box, which at its lower end is continued by the removable thin This plate, the overhang of the movable bottom 5, and the partition-strips l2 form the throat or opening through which th'ecigars arefed from the receiving-box.

The receiving or feed box is secured in' proper position upon the cross-plate 15 of the standards bythe bolt and nut 16. This crossplate carries the ways `17, in which, reciprocate the slide-bar 18, the stop 18 limiting the rearward movement of the same.

19 is a rocking bar shaped to the general out- IOO position ot' the cigar, as it is this bar that presses the cigar to contact with the impression-die. rlhe slide 18 is pivotally attached by the link 2O to the crank-arm 21, which is fixed to the shaft 22, on which is a handlever 23. A spring 24C on shaft 22 engages the arm 21 and the frame of the machine in such manner that its tension holds the parts normally in the position shown in Fig. 1, the slide 1,8 bearing against stop 18, and serves to return them to such position after the machine has been operated by depressing the hand-leverZS. An adjustable screw-stop 24; on the frame of the machine serves to limit the movement of the lever 23 and the forward movement of the cigar-printing parts. 25 represents two bracket-arms secured to the slide 18 and projecting forward across the throat of the feed-box. lt is upon these arms that the cigar to be printed or branded lies, and the cigar is held from leaving these arms by the upwardly-turned ends of the two fingers 2G, which fingers are carried on the rock shaft 27, having bearings in the frame of the machine, the fingers being held to place by the adjustable counter-weight 28, the stein of which projects from the rock-shaft, and they are prevented from rising too high by the stoparm 28 on shaft 28, which arm strikes against the cross-plate l5, as seen in Fig. 3.

29 are two delicate springs adjustably secured on the plate 14, and their function is to bear down on the cigar and hold it upon the arm 25 as it is moved forward out of the feed-box throat and passes over the ends of the fingers 2G.

30 is the branding or impressionvdie. It consists of a plate or sheet of metal bearing suitable characters, which plate is bent to the beveled form of the face of the die-block 31, and its longitudinal edges are sprung into the grooves 32, the plate holding in place by its elasticity. This block is secured to the front face of the heating-box 33 by dovetail connections, which afford vertical adjustment of the dic-block on the heating-box. The heating-box is secured to the front frame of the machine by slots in the same and the screws 34. It is to be noted that by these upon any portion of the length of the cigarlengthwise, as well as the die-plate on its block-and the die-block can be adjusted vertically on the box. The form of die here shown is that adapted to branding cigars, 35 being a lamp or burner adapted to properly heat the die. l do not confine myself, howturn pivoted to the short arm of the lever 38, the long arm of which is linked to the operat ing-handle It will be seen that as the handle is thrown forward the lower end of the fiap will be swung inwardly against the cigars that lie in the throat of the feed-box. This slightly disturbs the cigars (see Fig. 5) and prevents them becoming wedged inthe throat of the feed-box, so as to not feed downward and fall upon the slide and its arms 25.

The operation of the machine will now lbe plain. With the feed-box properly supplied and the impression-die in proper condition, throwing the handle-lever forward and down against its stop forces forward the slide-bar, its platen, bracketarms, and the cigar upon them against the retaining lingers. This causes the forward ends of the fingers to be tilted down as the cigar passes them, after which they rise behind the cigar to their first position. At the same time the motion of the parts c'arries the cigar under the springs 29 and against the die. The cigar is held against the die long enough to insure the proper impression, when the hand-lever is returned by the operator or under the stress of the spring on its shaft. During the return motion, the fingers 26 being behind the cigar, it is pushed off the arms 25, and downwardly by springs 2f) upon the apron @,011 `upon or tcpther device adapted to convey it awayfrom the machine. During the forward motion, a cigar has fallen upon the reciprocating slide, so that as the slide is returned this cigar falls off the slide and upon the carrying-arms, and the parte are in position to repeat the operation. In

`this way the cigars are handled very regularly and carefully yet rapidly.

The adjustment of the parts permits adapting the machine to any style of cigar, audits `motion being lineal there is no tendency to L twist or turn the cigar against the die and thereby crack or tear the wrapper.

What is claimed as new ism 1. The combination, in a machine for brand ing or impressing on cigars, of an impressiondie, reciprocating mechanism arranged and 3 operated to take the cigars singly and press i them upon the die, and a feed-box for feedmeans the die-plate may be adjusted to print ing the cigars to the impression mechanism,

1 substantially as set forth. that is, the heating-box can be adjusted 2. The combination, in a machine for im* pressing or branding cigars, of an impressiondie a feedbox havin r artitions ad'ustable to the length of the cigars, and reciprocating mechanism arranged and operated to take the cigars as they are fed to the same, from the feedfbox and press them upon the die, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a machine for impressing or branding cigars, of a feed-boxhav ing a delivery-opening the walls of which are adjustable to the length and thicknessof the cigars, an impression-die, and mechanism op erating to receive the cigars from the feedbox and press them upon the die, substan tially as set forth.

IOO

4:. The combination of the feed-box, the reciprocating slide bearing the arms 25, the lingers 26, the springs 29, and the impressiondie 30, arranged as set forth, whereby the cigars are fed singly upon saidarms and carried to contact with said die .and dropped from the slide.

o 5. The combination, With the feed-box and the impression-die, of the reciprocating slide 18, bearing the rocking bar 19 and carryingarms 25, and the counterbalanced lingers 26, whereby the cigars are singly fed from the feed-box and to the die, substantially as set forth. A

6. In combination with the feed-box and the mechanism for feeding the cigars therefrom, vthe heating-box 33, the die-block 3l, vertically adjustable 011 the heating-box, and the die-plate 30, longitudinally adjustable on the said die-block, as and for the purpose set GEORGE D. IVOODWORTH.

Vitnesses:

ROBT. F. GAYLORD, FRANK B. MURPHY. 

